1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote controller that is mainly used for remote control of various electronic devices, a method for controlling the same, and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Background Art
In recent years, various electronic devices with high function such as a television, a video system, or an air conditioner have been developed. Remote controllers for remotely-controlling these electronic devices need signal transmission for surely realizing high function.
A conventional remote controller is described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 19.
FIG. 17 is a sectional view of the conventional remote controller 100. As shown in FIG. 17, a housing consists of cases 1 and 10 obtained by forming insulating resin in the shape of a box. The following components are provided inside remote controller 100 covered with cases 1 and 10.
Operating bodies 2 shaped with insulating resin are respectively inserted into a plurality of apertures 1a provided in the upper surface of case 1, such that the operating bodies 2 can be moved up and down. Pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3 consists of an insulating element such as silicone rubber and conductive particles dispersed inside this element. Wiring patterns are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of wiring board 4. As shown in FIG. 17, plural pairs of fixed contacts 5 that consist of copper, carbon, or the like are provided on the upper surface of wiring board 4. Pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3 is provided at the upper side of these fixed contacts 5.
Spacer 6 consisting of insulating resin is provided between pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3 and wiring board 4 so as to surround fixed contacts 5. A pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7 consists of pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3 and a pair of the fixed contacts 5. Pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3 and each pair of fixed contacts 5 are positioned to face each other with an interval therebetween.
Transmitting section 8 consists of a light emitting diode and so on. As shown in FIG. 17, transmitting section 8 is provided on the lower surface of wiring board 4. Control section 9 consisting of a microcomputer and so on generates a remote control signal to be sent from transmitting section 8 in accordance with a change of a resistance value detected by pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7. Control section 9 will be described in detail later.
Next, an operation of remote controller 100 will be described.
FIG. 18 shows a characteristic of pressing force P and resistance value R of pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3, which constitutes pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7.
In FIG. 17, if operating body 2 is pressed, lower end 2a of the operating body 2 presses down pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3. Pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3, which detects the downward pressing of the operating body 2, comes in contact with fixed contacts 5. At this time, pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7 attains an electrically connected state (A0 point in FIG. 18).
If operating body 2 is further pressed, pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3 is compressed. When pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3 is compressed, the number of conductive particles in contact with fixed contacts 5 increases, the conductive particles existing inside the insulating element constituting pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3. In other words, a contact area between pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3 and fixed contact points 5 is increased. As a result, as shown in the curved line L0 in the characteristic view of FIG. 18, the detected resistance value R becomes small in accordance with an increase of the pressing force P (from point A0 to point C0 via point B0 in FIG. 18).
By the way, such pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7 may show different characteristics depending on hardness of the insulating element forming pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3, an amount of conductive particles dispersed inside the insulating element, or a dispersion state. For example, when there is pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7 that has a characteristic expressed by the curved line L1 in FIG. 18, the detected resistance value becomes R21 even if the same pressing force P2 is added to operating body 2 and thus the detected result has deviance (point B0 and point D0 in FIG. 18).
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-33680 has been known as conventional art relevant to the invention of this application, for example.
Electronic devices 30 are remotely-controlled by means of such remote controller 100. FIG. 19A and FIG. 19B show states displaying program lists on display screens 31 of electronic devices 30 such as a remotely-controlled television. There is described a method for moving cursor 33 or pointer 34 shown on display screen 31 to the upper side of display screen 31 by means of remote controller 100.
First, operating body 2 included in remote controller 100 is pressed. In remote controller 100, control section 9 generates a manipulated signal consisting of pulse waveforms and so on, on the basis of the electrically connected state of pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7 and the characteristic between the pressing force and the resistance value shown in FIG. 18. This manipulated signal is sent from transmitting section 8 to electronic device 30 as an infrared remote control signal. When remote control receiving section 32 provided in electronic device 30 receives the remote control signal, cursor 33 or pointer 34 displayed on display screen 31 moves to the upper side.
When operating body 2 is further pressed, pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7 outputs a resistance value based on the characteristic shown in FIG. 18. In other words, when the pressing force is changed from P1 to P2 and from P2 to P3, the resistance value is changed from R1 to R2 and from R2 to R3. Control section 9 continuously detects the change of these resistance values and sends a remote control signal to electronic device 30 via transmitting section 8. If this resistance value becomes less than or equal to a predetermined value, for example the resistance value becomes less than or equal to R10 by adding the pressing force P2, the moving speed of cursor 33 or pointer 34 becomes fast.
By the way, the characteristic shown by pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7 corresponds to the change of the curved line L1 shown in FIG. 18 owing to variation and so on of the insulating element forming pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3. In this case, even if the pressing force P2 is added to operating body 2, the detected resistance value does not become less than or equal to R10. Therefore, since control section 9 does not generate a remote control signal for changing the moving speed of cursor 33 or pointer 34, the moving speed of cursor 33 or pointer 34 displayed on display screen 31 does not change. If the pressing force P3 is further added to operating body 2, the detected resistance value finally becomes less than or equal to the resistance value R10. At this time, since control section 9 can generate a remote control signal for changing the moving speed of cursor 33 or pointer 34, the electronic device 30 receives this remote control signal and changes the moving speed of cursor 33 or pointer 34 displayed on display screen 31.
In other words, if the characteristic of pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7 has deviance owing to variation and so on of each element forming pressure-sensitive conducting sheet 3, there is a problem that a desired function is not executed even if predetermined pressing force is added. In particular, if the characteristic of pressure-sensitive conducting contact 7 corresponding to each operating body 2 has deviance when remote controller 100 of a television has many operating bodies 2, there is a problem that handling of each operating body 2 becomes cumbersome and thus it can be easily mishandled because each operating body 2 requires different pressing force.